Meanwhile the straggle outside the gates was being decided.
The barbarians some eighty horsemen, had several times approached the
river, but never within bow-shot; they had also trotted towards the
blockaded bridge, but had made no attack on that strong position. The
eyes of the people on the ramparts and of the attacking party were
directed intently towards this enemy in the _west_.
When the bridge was reached Severus ordered a small opening to be made
in the barricade, through which only two men at a time could gain the
left bank, and now, as the two last of the long train of burghers
passed through--the bridge was still occupied by its original
garrison--there sounded from the hills of the eastern forest, from the
_right_ bank, the piercing cry of the black eagle.
Cornelius quickly turned and looked towards the east. "Heardest thou
the cry of the eagle?"
Severus nodded. "A good omen for Roman warriors! Seest thou how our
golden eagle on the standard seems to raise its wings?"
But Cornelius did not look at the standard-bearer; he looked only
towards the eastern forest. "A column of smoke rises up from the
chamois rock."
"A charcoal-burner! Turn thy face! In the _west_ stands the enemy.
Lower the spears! Forward!"
In two extended lines near each other, each three men deep, they now
advanced towards the agile horsemen, who had quickly ridden back from
the river as this mass of footmen passed over; they had halted half-way
between the stream and the western forest, and had formed in two
parallel lines. Only a spear's throw separated the enemies.
Then as Severus and Cornelius, slowly advancing their columns, were
just going to raise their spears, two Germans rode slowly towards them,
ceremoniously turning the points of their lances downwards.
"Halt!" cried Severus to his troops. "They wish to parley. Let us
listen to them!"
The two horsemen came now quite close to Severus and Cornelius. The
combatants on each side stood back in anxious expectation.
One of the two Germans, a youthful, towering, splendid figure, on a
milk-white steed, was by the ornaments and splendour of his arms
characterised as a leader; he might be more than ten years younger than
Cornelius, who noticed with envy the muscular strength of the naked
right arm of the young barbarian, adorned and at the same time
strengthened by broad golden armlets; the left arm was covered by a
small round shield, painted red, embellished in the centre with a
spokeless wheel, a Rune or a picture of the sun. His breast was
protected by splendidly-worked armour--ah! with feelings of anger
Severus recognised, by the badges of honour appended thereto, that it
had been the panoply of a distinguished Roman officer, a legate or
_magister militum_;--he wore short leather breeches; from the ankle
upwards the calf of the leg was bound round with neat leather straps;
the left only of the two closely-fitting wooden shoes bore a spur; the
rider scorned saddle and stirrups; a short double axe was stuck in his
girdle, a white woollen mantle, fastened together so that it hindered
no movement, hung at his back; it was the hand of the mother--for this
youth was certainly yet unwedded--who had worked the handsome, broad,
bright red stripe on its border; splendid light golden hair floated on
his shoulders in natural curls, and surrounded the dazzlingly
beautiful, maidenlike white face; and on the proudly arched Roman
helmet, also obtained by plunder, towered, instead of the Latin black
horse-tail, the pinion of the gray heron.
The second horseman, a gigantic, gray-haired man of about sixty years,
with a gray beard falling low on his breast and waving in the wind,
seemed to be the leader oL the retinue of his chief. He was simply
dressed and armed; the mane and tail of his powerful war-horse, a brown
stallion, were prettily interwoven with red and yellow ribbons; on his
shoulders he wore the skin of a wolf, whose open jaws yawned at the
enemy from the top of his helmet; his shield was painted in red and
yellow circles; at his unarmed breast he carried a mighty horn of the
bison of the primeval forest.
The commander now raised his lowered spear, threw it into the
bridle-hand, and offered the right to Severus, who took it with
hesitation, and immediately let it fall.
"First a grasp of the hand," cried the German, with a soft,
richly-toned voice, in very good Vulgate Latin--"first a grasp of the
hand, then, if you so wish it, a stroke with the sword. I know thee;
thou art the brave Severus, formerly the _Magister Militum_. Thou art
gallantly continuing the struggle at a lost post, for a lost cause. I
pride myself in being the son of the hero Liutbert, king of the
Alemanni. My name is Liuthari, and no man has yet conquered me."
Severus frowned darkly. "I have heard of thy father's name, and of
thine, you have stormed Augusta Vindelicorum."
"But not retained possession of it," cried the king's son; and his
clear gray eyes shone pleasantly. "Who would wish to live in walled
graves? Also in your Juvavum we shall not settle."
"That is provided against," muttered Severus.
But Liuthari threw back his locks, laughing.
"Wait a little! But say first, for whom leadest thou these burghers
into the field? In whose name dost thou defend Juvavum?"
"For the Imperator of Ravenna, who, as a good omen, unites the names of
the first king and the first emperor; for Romulus Augustulus, the lord
of the whole earth."
Then the German drew a papyrus roll from his girdle, and threw it to
Cornelius.
"I thought so," said he. "You know less than we barbarians what is
happening in your own Italy--in your own imperial chief city. Read what
is written to me by one who knows it well. There is no longer an
Emperor of the West! Romulus Augustulus--the boy's name is certainly a
good omen _for us_!--is deposed. He lives henceforth on an island, and
feeds peacocks; and on his throne sits my brother-in-law, the husband
of my beautiful sister--Odoacer the brave. He has himself written it to
us."
Cornelius had glanced through the composition. He tamed pale and
silently gave it to Severus, who read it trembling.
"There is no doubt!" said he, almost voiceless. "I know the man; he has
served under me. Odoacer does not lie."
"And we do not lie!" cried the gray-bearded companion of Liuthari. He
urged on his horse and took the letter from the hand of Severus. "To
split shields, not to falsify Runes, have I taught King Liutbert's
son."
One could well believe that of the old man. Before he put the roll into
his girdle he looked into it with an important air; it did not disturb
him that the letters were upside down.
Severus supported himself on his spear. Cornelius looked darkly before
him. "I knew it," he then said. "I had almost wished for it when I saw
it was unavoidable; and now it is come it crushes me."
"No longer an Imperator in Rome!" groaned Severus.
"Italy in the hands of the barbarians!" sighed Cornelius.
"You awake my deepest pity, gallant heroes," said the king's son, in a
grave tone. "But now you see well: the battle must come to an end
before it begins. For whom, for what will you yet fight?"
"For the future!" cried Severus.
"For the past--for honour!" cried Cornelius.
"For immortal Rome!" said both.
"Byzantium yet rules--soon will Byzantium send another Emperor,"
threatened Severus.
"Perhaps!" said Liuthari, shrugging his shoulders. "But in the meantime
we want a settling-place, fields, and pasturage, we Germans. And
therefore I bring you a message in my father's name: 'So speaks
Liutbert, the King of the Alemanni, in his own name and in that of his
allies'"----
"Who are these allies?" interrupted Cornelius.
"You will find out quicker than you will like," answered gruffly
Liuthari's companion.
Liuthari continued: "'Let him stay in the land who will do so
peaceably; he who will not stay let him peaceably retire. The
fortresses to be vacated; they must be destroyed. Two-thirds of the
land remain to you; one-third is for us.' That is a reasonable
division."
But Severus started up angrily, raising his spear. "Bold barbarian!
Darest thou thus to speak, with eighty barbarians against the host of
Juvavum's burghers? Thou hast learnt to speak as a Latin, but not to
think as a Roman!"
"I should think," interposed Cornelius, "that your country was large
enough for you, ye Alemanni, when you can only send eighty horsemen to
conquer Juvavum. Do you think I can yield to _you_?"
A peculiar smile played around the young German's handsome mouth, about
which the first downy beard charmingly curled. "Take care, Roman! Are
we too few for thee? Soon may we seem too many. Out of a few the
wonder-working Wotan wakes many! For the last time--evacuate the
fortress; divide peaceably the country!"
"Never! Back, barbarian!" cried the two Romans at once.
Liuthari turned his horse suddenly round. "It is your wish. You are,
then, lost. Wotan has you all!"
The two horsemen then galloped back to their men.
"Haduwalt, sound the horn!"
The old master-in-arms put the horn to his mouth, and a load roaring
tone struck on the ear of the Romans; and before they could obey the
command of their leaders and advance against the enemy, there sounded
behind them, _in the east_, from the river, from the town, now quite
near, the loud cry of the black eagle; and immediately afterwards such
a fearful noise of whoops, cries of anguish, and the clashing of
weapons, that all the six hundred men, and both commanders, turned in
dismay. Horror and despair seized them. Germans--Germans innumerable,
as it appeared to the alarmed Romans rushed forth from the eastern
forest, and from all the slopes of the mountains and brushwood of the
hills. A strong detachment hurried towards the bridge; others, on horse
and on foot, threw themselves into the river above and below the
bridge; but the greater part, laden with ladders and trunks of trees on
which the horizontal branches had been left, approached the town; and
with fierce rage the shut-out citizens saw how whole masses of the
stormers, crowding together like ants, helped to raise each other,
supported themselves on the ladders, beams, and trees, climbed up, and,
in many places almost without resistance from the few sentinels, at
once gained the crown of the ramparts.
Juvavum, the town, was conquered before its defenders had been able to
strike a blow.
The garrison had been enticed out, with the exception of the soldiers
of the Tribune. Were _they_ still in the Capitol? The leaders looked
anxiously towards the tower: the imperial _Vexillum_ was still
fluttering at its summit.
But the cry of joy with which the Alemannian horsemen greeted the
success of their heroic confederates recalled the Romans to the
threatening danger from this near enemy. Severus ordered Cornelius,
with about a hundred men, to engage the Alemannian troopers, while he
himself, with the greater part of the deeply discouraged burghers,
turned back to the bridge, to assist its garrison, which was now being
attacked from the unprotected open east side.
He again heard the sound of Haduwalt's horn. Severus turned.
"Yield!" cried the king's son. "You are lost!"
"Never!" cried Cornelius, and threw his spear as Liuthari was galloping
towards him.
Liuthari turned the stroke aside with his shield arm: the next instant
Cornelius fell backwards, pierced to the heart through shield and
armour by the lance of the German hurled while at full speed.
"I will avenge thee!" cried Severus, and was turning towards the king's
son; but at the same moment a cry of distress again called him
eastwards.
The enemy had overpowered the garrison of the bridge; already many of
the swimmers, horsemen and footmen intermixed, had reached the troops
of Severus. Active youths, whose yellow hair floated in the wind from
their uncovered heads, ran, holding on to the manes of the horses; and
thus attacked at once by horse and foot, the citizens of Juvavum,
knowing their town, their relatives, were already in the power of the
conqueror, threw away their arms, and fled on all sides. At the same
time the Alemanni from the west rode down the hundred men of Cornelius.
Severus stood alone: his spear fell from his hand.
The leader of the enemy that had come so suddenly from the east then
approached him. He had galloped in advance of his followers on to the
bridge, where his horse was pierced and fell. He then advanced on foot,
a giant in stature. The mighty pinion of the black eagle bristled
menacingly on his helm; his red hair, combed towards the crown, and
drawn together behind, fell below his helmet; an enormous bear-skin
hung on his shoulders: he raised his stone battle-axe.
"Throw down thy sword, old man, and live," cried this giant, in Latin.
"Throw down this sword?" said Severus. "I will not live!"
"Then die!" cried the other, and hurled his stone axe.
Severus fell: his breast-plate was rent in twain, it fell in two pieces
from his body.
He supported himself painfully on his left arm: the conquering sword he
had not yet let fall.
The victor bent over him, picking up his axe.
"Tell me, before I die," said Severus, with a weak voice, "in whose
hands is Juvavum fallen? Of what race are you? Are you Alemanni?"
"No, Roman; we have been summoned by the Alemanni. We do not come from
the west. We come from the east, up the Danube. We have taken all the
Roman towns from Carnuntum hither; the last legion this side of the
Alps have we defeated at Vindobona. We share the land with our comrades
the Alemanni--the Licus is the boundary. Look here; already from the
mountains of the east our people stream down into the country--women
and children, waggons and herds--that is the advanced guard; tomorrow
will come the great horde."
"And what is your name?"
"We were called formerly Marcomanni; but now, 'the men of Bajuhemum,'
the Bajuvaren, all this land is ours for ever, as far as one can see to
the north from the Alpine ridge. Yield, then, gray-head! there yet
remains to thee"----
"This sword," said Severus, and he thrust into his heart the conquering
sword of the Emperor Probus.
The giant drew it out and a stream of blood rushed forth.
"Ah!" said the Bajuvaren. "The old man is dead. It would be a pity,"
continued he slowly, looking at the sword, "if this good blade were
lost. Come, brave weapon; serve henceforth the new lord of the land.
But now must I thank Liuthari; everything hit together admirably. Yes;
these Alemanni! They are almost wiser than we! Hojo, Sigo, Heilo!"
cried he, holding his two hands hollowed before his mouth. "Liuthari!
beloved, where tarriest thou? Garibrand calls, the Bajuvaren duke.
Hojoho! Sigo! Heiloho! Now let us share the booty and the land!"
Liuthari galloped forward and offered his hand to the duke. "Welcome in
our new home! Welcome in victory!" cried he, with a joyous voice.
But then sounded from the town fresh noise of arms and tumult of
battle.
"The victory is not yet complete," said Garibrand, pointing with his
axe to the Capitol.
There was now heard, through the battle-cries of the Bajuvaren in the
town, the clear warlike call of the tuba. "That is the Roman general
and his host!" cried the duke. "He is coming from the fortress down
into the town on my men! Quick! bring me another horse! Into the town!
To the help of my heroes!"